Jillian’s Story: Building from the Ground Up

For nearly two decades, addiction shaped much of Jillian’s life. She lost stability, experienced homelessness, had strained relationships with her family, and found herself cycling in and out of jail. Eventually, she reached a point where she knew she wanted something different. She chose recovery.

Not long into that journey, Jillian learned she was pregnant with her daughter. As she worked to rebuild her own life, she now had another reason to keep moving forward—and a future she wanted to build for them both.

When Jillian and her daughter arrived at City of Refuge, she wasn’t sure what to expect. It was her first experience living in a shelter, and arriving with a young child so close to the holidays brought even more uncertainty. What she found was more than a place to stay.

“My expectations were exceeded when I got here,” Jillian said. “It provided so much more than just a place to stay. It gave me hope.”

During their nine months at City of Refuge, Jillian worked alongside her case manager and other staff to take steps toward greater stability. She found resources for her daughter, received support as she worked toward housing, participated in counseling and groups,  and began to build confidence in herself and in what she was capable of accomplishing.

For years, Jillian questioned whether she was qualified for certain jobs or capable of achieving the things she wanted. At City of Refuge, that began to change. As she moved forward, she began to recognize her own strength and what she was capable of.

Today, with nearly two and a half years of recovery behind her, Jillian is building the stability she once struggled to imagine. She is now employed on the City of Refuge campus, continuing to grow in the same community that supported her along the way. With each step, she is creating greater independence and a more secure future for herself and her daughter. Today, they have an apartment of their own—a place to call home as they continue building what comes next.

Now, Jillian can think beyond what comes next and dream about what the years ahead might hold. She pictures a quiet ranch-style home with a little land—a forever home for her daughter and a place where her family will always have somewhere to come home to.

“Now I know that there can be a future, and there is a future,” Jillian said. “Because of how far I’ve come so far, I think it can happen.”

When she considers who she is today, she chooses a different word: resilient. After everything she has walked through, Jillian is no longer wondering whether a different future is possible. She is already building it.

—

Help us bring more light, hope, and transformation to residents like J. Join our monthly giving community, City Lights, and be a part of a movement of individuals who support City of Refuge on a consistent basis and receive exclusive monthly updates. To make a one-time donation, click here.